John wall wilson



ted

t tant dini effe m JOHN WALL WILSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters Patent No. 89,535, dated April 27, 1869.

GAME ENTITLED TJeLIZISMAl'lZ'l The Schedule referred-to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN WALL WILSON, of the city, county, and State of' New York, have invented a new and useful Game yentitled Talisman, and means or devices for playing the same, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a plan of the parts or pieces used in the game, and as arranged for playing the same, and

Figure 2, a front elevation of the pieces in playing position.

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of a scoop used in playing the game, and

Figure 4, a similar View of a mallet for the same purpose.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This, my new game, which is played with balls, is mainly designed for the eld, and embraces, first, a combination of pins, with rings outside of and encircling them wickets, with posts between them; and balls, that in playing, are arranged on top of the posts, the whole being used inl connection with balls struck or thrown by the players. Secondly, the invention includes the use of a scoop for throwing the balls used by the players. Thirdly, the invention embraces a peculiarly-constructed mallet for striking said balls.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, l iirst erect or tix upon a starting-post, or point, A, for the players, and arrange at twelve feet distance (more or less) a first wicket, B, having a post, C, located between it, and on the top of said post, loosely place a ball, D.

Around said post is a ring or halt' ring, E, to limit tbe'players dislodgement of the ball on the post inside of a given distance.

Bl is a similar wicket, wlth a post, C1, between it,

having a ball, D, on top, and ring or half ring, E, outside ofthe post, said wicket B being located twentyeight feet (more or less) from the first wicket.

Beyond this again, at a similar distance of twentyeight feet, (more or less,) isa third wicket, B2, with a similar arrangement of central post C", ball D", and

his opponent or associates and opponents have played,

and then proceed to play at pin F, next at pin F2,

ring or half ring E2.

Arranged between the posts of the wickets, and in line with them, are pins,`surrounded by rings, `restricting play on the latter to a given distance outside of them, and outside of the wickets are similar pins snrrounded by rings.

These several pins, which, as well as the posts C vOl O2, are loosely erected, so as to admit of being knocked down by the playing ball or balls, are ten in number, that is, two between the wickets and four on Aeach side o f them, the said pins being located at equal distances from each'other and the intervening wickets.

y the starting-post.

The player, it should bel observed, only follows his The order in which the pins stand is indicated by the numbers l 2 3, and so on up to ten, attached to the letters F, which denote the pins having rings G encircling them. Thus the pin F1v standsl at fourteen feet (more or less) fromthe first wicket, pin F2, the. same, and pin F3 a like distance fron the first and second wickets, and from thev pins F Fi, and pins F* and F5 the same distance from the pin F3 and second wicket, and so on for the remainder of thepins.

The game admits of two or more persons playing.

YVhentwo only play, then each maybe furnished with two balls, the opponents playing a ball alternately but when more than two persons play, then one ball for each will sufiice.

A primary rule governing the game is that the pins from F tO F, inclusive, must be knocked down successively, thatis in regnlaror numerical order, each pin, when knocked down counting ten,.or other fixed number.

The players, in succession, first stand at the starting-post or point A, and holdingV a Scoop, H, or mallet I, in the hands, throw or strike their ball J at the post O of' the first wicket, irr-the endeavor to displace or dislodge the-ball D therefrom, which, if done, counts twenty, the same count applying to each of the balls Dl Di displaced from the posts of the other wickets, when the player arrives in position to pay at the same in the game. from the first post, he then, with the scoop or mallet, plays his ball from the position in which it has been left at pin F, and if succeeding next at F2, and so on in numerical order, displacing the ball Dl from the post betwen the second wickets, in passing from the pin F5 to F, and after having succeeded in displacing the balls from the posts of the two first wickets, and

having knocked down all' the pins, he finally plays at the post of the third wicket, to displace the ball D2 on the post thereof.

This, however, forms an exccptionable and very irnprobable run of success, and the vplay of the game willl be best illustrated by supposing the player to pass his ball through either wicket without displacing the ball from the post; such not only will not count him, buthe must wait for the next turn to play, that is, till after and so on, passing through also or displacing the balls from vthe other wickets in order. Having knocked down all the pins and passed through the last wicket, he must then return and play to displace the ballon the post ofthe wicket that he failed to' count on while passing and makeup his loss. The wickets must be passed through in the order in which they stand from hand so long as he continues to count,croquetting and I f succeeding in displacing the ball D I'oquetting his opponents ball, the same as in the game 0f croquet; but he is not allowed to play a second time upon the same ball without having lirst knocked down a pin or displaced a wicket-ball.

The rings around the posts and to the wickets limit the player to play at a given distance therefrom, he

being required to take his position outside the ring, and wait for his turn.

There should be an umpire to keep the score, and to decide all questions that may arise.

The gaine, however, which combines amusement with healthy'exercise, affords but little scopev for disagreement, as theknocking down of the pins or displacing of the balls from the posts, both of which require to be reset for the next player, leaves no room for doubt as regards the count. l

' It is preferred to throw the ball by means of a scoop, H, held by the twohands of the player, he or she scooping the ball up and ejecting it as required.

This device is not only more graceful to use where a lady is the player, but the dress is not caught by it, or the throw interfered with, as in swinging a mallet. As a mallet,.however, may be preferred for certain strokes, or by some, instead of making it Hat on its striking face, as usual in croquet, I make the mallet I of' aserni-globular or rounded form at such part, substantially as represented in iig. 4, whereby there is no necessity for over-nice adjustment of the mallet in the hand, anda straighter or more direct blow is secured.

Vhat'is here claimed, and desired to be secured-by Letters Patent, is

1. The game entitled Talisman, substantially Vas herein described. v

2. The combination of the wickets B BB2, with their posts C C C2, balls D D D2, and pins I1 to Fm, and rings G, arranged essentially as specified.

3. The scoop H, constructed substantially as represented in iig. 2, for use by the player, as herein set forth.

4. The mallet I, constructed as represented in iig. 4, for use as described.

5. The combination of the wicket B and central post C, substantially as and for the purpose described.

J. VALL WILSON.

Witnesses:

A. Ln CLERC, A. KLNNIER. 

